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International Trade - Theory and Policy, 2010a

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tractability. It is much simpler to conceive of the model results when we assume that all firms are the<br />

same in their essential characteristics. However, it seems likely that these results would still be obtained<br />

even if firms were asymmetric.)<br />

In Figure 6.4 "Firm Equilibrium in Monopolistic Competition", we depict a market equilibrium for a<br />

representative firm in the domestic industry. The firm faces a downward-sloping dem<strong>and</strong> curve (D 1 ) for<br />

its product <strong>and</strong> maximizes profit by choosing that quantity of output such that marginal revenue (MR 1 ) is<br />

equal to marginal cost (MC). This occurs at output level Q 1 for the representative firm. The firm chooses<br />

the price for its product, P 1 , that will clear the market. Notice that the average cost curve (AC) is just<br />

tangent to the dem<strong>and</strong> curve at output Q 1 . This means that the unit cost at Q 1 is equal to the price per<br />

unit—that is, P 1 = AC(Q 1 ), which implies that profit is zero. Thus the firm is in a long-run equilibrium<br />

since entry or exit has driven profits to zero.<br />

Figure 6.4 Firm Equilibrium in Monopolistic Competition<br />

Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/books<br />

Saylor.org<br />

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